Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-02-02
From the Baltimore Sun, JAM. 2lst.
Beecher on Socialism.
HIS LECTURE LAST NIGHT ON LABOR PROB
LEMs AND PROHIBITION.

Inns AND PROHIBITION.
Rev. DIR. Henry Ward Beecher spoke
last night at the Academy of Music on
''Two Great Modern Conflicts" He said:
San Europe is in a state of ferment and
discomfort No nation in Europe is salts
fed with its government, and there is no
government which is not one of repression
Spain is the only qniet nation. The dead
are always quiet. England has stimula-
ting problem, which is Ireland-a thorn in
her side-and Ireland will never cease to
I've a thorn until England takes her inio o her
bosom. But England will have another
problem-the question of land distribution.
So soon as the land question is settled there
is another question, the disestablishment
of the church. The church is most inter-
ested in it, but the state also has an inter-
est. Then the question of free public
schools is agitated. Then the House of
Lords is to be changed, and were the
Prince of Wales not so popular the death of
he Queen might produce revolution. But
England is to remain at present monarch
ical repnblic. In Europe there is almost a
empestuous heat The people never had
better treatment in regard to food, shelter
and clothing than at present. But grow
ing intelligence has begun to develop the
spirit of manhood. The bottom of society,
lifted up by the spirit of God, cries who
will lead us? In politics and production
the conflict is going on. Evolution may
now be said to be generic. Socialism is in
The church, at the court and among philos-
ophers and statesmen. The most danger
ous, but destined soon to perish, are nihi-
ism and anarchism. These are not indig-
enous. We are threatened with dangerous
lott
ism says the whole state of society is cor
rupt and must be swept away, and the basis
is that private property is dishonest proper
ty. Suppose this could be shown to have
been borrowed from the New Testament.
Riches are not commended in the New
Testament, but they are denounced. On
the face of it the sermon on the Mount is
full of dynamite. Blessed are the poor!
We recognize it, but We don't sympathize.
Take no thought for the morrow Well,
if that amt As;atic Incidence we don't
know what it is. That is, if we take the
sentence literally. England tried the doc
trine Of universal charity, and got nearly
half her population into the poorhouse.
The doctrine was found to lead to laziness
and laziness leads to the devil. st. Basil
says: The rich man is thief St. Chry-
sostom says: Better all things were in
common st. Ambrose says: Iniquity
alone has created private property ST.
Jerome says: Private property is based on
usurpation Now, it is the wrong inter-
probation of the doctrines Of the New Tes-
lament that has led to error. III had been
born under despotism and darkness, l
would have been a nihilist. But now they
come to America and tell US how to con-
struct commonwealths. l despise them
[Applause. America is the most evolved
country in the world. To attempt to re-
construct the institutions of this free coun-
try is all outrage that should not be con-
doned. The peaceable reconstruction of
society advocates have under their vicious
assumptions 'All men are born free and
equal Are they equal IN size and weight?
Have they the same foresight, tha same
wisdom? Can every man produce the same
amount of work as another? Are all men
artists? Formerly certain classes contain
ed certain virtues. The French revolution
came and said that crime is crime. Men
are equal before the law. Equal law for
crime and equal justice for virtne. The
wrong Interpretation of the phrase has been
at the bottom of all English socialistic the
ories Men are diverse, and they've got to
stand in their condition, and they can't
help it. The next tdangerous heresy is that
Property is the result of labor Yes. to
certain extent, but of what sort of labor;
of bone and muscle? That is the idea in
Europe. Laborers say: we produce prop
erty and others steal it. hold that if
you give the laboring man scope enough in
the definition, then labor produces proper
ty. But property is the result primarily of
thought secondarily of work. You might
as we'll say that the ass that draws the man
TO the mine produces the gold, as to say
that he body, the slave of the mind, Gre
ates property Everywhere brains are high,
and everywhere in the world meat is cheap.
Laughter. The brain men are at the top,
bulk of our population is nor affected at
present by dangerous theories, but it is
possible that millions of men may be trans
ferred from Europe. This country is
strong enough to try almost any expert
ment. l am in sympathy with the work
ings-out Of the common people. For in
stance, trade-unions are good, but they are
not perfect. Their members are not an
gels. Let timers com bine, carpenters COM
bine. But no man has any right to put
distractions in the way Of labor. l hate
the drinking habit so much that if thought
government could prevent it / would al
most go in for the plan. But morality can't
be made by machinery. But we must live
by faith, by hope"
Rev. DR.. Beecher spoke for an hour, and
n representative audience occupied the au-
ditorium. The pupils of the Bryant, STRAIT
ton & Sadler Business College, under
whose auspices the lecture was given, sat
upon the stage.